Instrument for use in raising and lining railroad-tracks.



C. E. DOTY.

INSTRUMENT FOR USE IN RAISING AND LINING RAILROAD TRACKS.

APPLICATION TILED APR.30| I915.

1 1 99 059 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

I? .2. 9 A DJ k 78 25W W I 2 J L h I as} T 4 11; 14 Fin r I 2477 =-l lfi\ 8 I131). I3 I 77 19 A IIIII 6 5 l Tr W 'lIIIII/IIIIIIIIJI WITNESSES I I ENTOI? MW 1M |III" M2, I y

cm ("W TED STATES nrrcn.

CHARLES E. DOTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INSTRUMENT FOR USE IN RAISING AND LINING RAILROAD-TRACKS.

Application filed April 39, 1915.

new and useful Improvements in Instruments for Use in Raising and Lining Railroad-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved constructions in surveying instruments for use in raising and lining railroad tracks.

One of theobjects of my invention is to construct supports for optical instruments so as to make them readily adapted to fit upon the rails of a railroad track, to the end that the vertical hair-line of the opticalinstruments supported thereby will fall directly in line with the gage side of the rail.

Another object of my invention is to so construct target supporting means that it may be readily mounted on the track-rail so that the vertical line marked on the target which is used for lining the track will be in' line with the'gage side of the rail.

Other objects will appear from the following specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings whichform a part of myspecification; Figure 1 is an elevation showing the position and use of the instruments in bringingthe trackto a surface or taking the sags out of the track.

Fig. 2. is a plan showing the position and use of the lnstruments in performing the operation known as lining the track. Fig. 3. 1s a side elevation of my mproved means for supporting the optical instrument upon a rail and tie of the track. Fig. 4. is an end view of the instrument on its improved mounting, the lower portion being in section on line 4.1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5. is an elevation of the target supporting means used in linthe track, a portion of the rail being' shown in elevation. Fig. 6. is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5. the rail being removed. Fig. 7. is a side View of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts.

A is a conventional telescope or theodolite provided with the usual vertical and horizontal cross hairs, B is a conventional construction of a supportingframe 3 and turn table A which is mounted in a conventional way upon its support so that the telescope or theodolite may be turned both in a horizon- Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 24,862.

tal and in a vertical plane. The usual spirit Patented Sept. 26, 1916. 2

levels as indicated at 5 and 6 are also pro- 4 vided, so that the instrument. may be brought into a true adjustment.

In order to support the instrument upon a rail C and tie D'of a track, I provide a structure consisting preferably of three legs,

10, 11 and 12 each of which is pivoted at 10, 11, and 12 to the underside of a fixed plate 2, to which the turn table 1 of the optical instrument is pivoted. Leaf springs 13 and 1 1 are secured at one end to the outer sides of each of thelegs 10 and 11, the free ends of the springs being adapted to press against the outer edge of the head 7 of the rail 0 when the instrument is in position. U

shaped guides 13 and 14 are secured to the outer side of the bar 15 through which springs 13 and 14: extend. In the bridge portion of the guides are set screws 13 and 143 which operate to'adjust the position of V the springs in order to adapt them to properly clamp any size of rail-head. A bar 15 preferably of wood is secured to the ends of the legs 10 and 11, the underside of the bar being beveled at 16 as shown, and is adapted to rest upon the upper surface ofthe rail Upon the inner sides of each of the head. legs 10 and 11, I secure fixed arms 17 and 18. A leaf spring 19. which is bent at its center 20 r to engage the'under side of the rail head is secured at each end 21 and 22 respectively to the arms 17 and 18. The leg 12 is pivoted at 12 so as to have a movement at right angles to the plane of the two legs 10 and 11. A steel rod 25 screw-threaded at oneend as indicated at 27 and having a thumb-screw 28 at its upper end, and pointed at 26 at its lower end is mounted inany suitable way, preferably as shown in Fig. 4., through perforated lugs 8 in order to be readily adjusted in the direction of the length of the leg 12. 7

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I have shown the construction of the target which is used in the operation of lining the track. The target mount consists of a block 30 having a spirit level 31 counter-sunk in the center of the block" and provided with two steel leaf springs 32 and 33 fastened to one of its 7 sides and with a solid depending portion 34 fastened to its other side. The springs pass through a guide 32 which has a set screw 33 in the bridge thereof so that the block 30 can be supported 011 rail heads of varying size. To the block 30 is fastenedby nails or screws or in any suitable way a vertical plate 35 on a face of which is a line 4:1 drawn perpendicularly to the under surface of the block 30 at the point of intersection. of the depending portion 3A with the under surface of the said block 30. On-this vertical plate is also drawn a line or lines 42 parallel to the under surface of the block 30. These .verticaland horizontal lines are known as the target lines of the target. The block 30 is fitted upon the top of the rail and held thereto by means of the springs 3'2 and 33 clamping the head of the rail between them and the inner side of projecting portion at, which latter abuts against the gage side of the rail.

The manner of using the instrument in the operation of lining the track, will now be described. 7

Referring to,Fig. 2., the two fixed legs of the instrument are placed on the rail, the shoe portion resting on the top thereof, the springs 13, 1A and 19 holding the two legs rigidly in place upon the rail as clearly shown. The third leg rests upon the tie and is held in position-by means of the point 26 v of the adjusting rod 25-being forced a short distance into the tie, the height of the third leg being first adjusted by means of the screw connection between it and the rod 25 as described. When the table and optical instrument are level, that fact will be indicated by the spirit levels 5 and 6 placed thereon. Targets as illustrated in Figs. 5,

,6 and 7 are placed upon. the rail, the referside of the The track at the point N is then swung by workmen by means of lining bars or other suitable means into line until the vertical line of both targets and the vertical hair-line of the optical instru-- ments coincide, which fact will be observed by the operator. This operation is repeatedat intervals along the track until the entire line of track is adjusted into a perfect line. My improved instrument may also be used. in bringing the track to a surface by taking the sags out of the track. This is accom- I plished by setting the optical instrument as previously described, at one end of the sag in the track as illustrated at H in Fig. 1. The reference target consisting of vertical adjustable rods as indicated at R in Fig. l, is adjusted so that the horizontal line of this target is at a height from the track equal to the height of the horizontal hair-line of the telescope and is set at the other end of the sag. A similar target marked S set at the sameheight as the reference target is placed at intermediate points between the instru: ment and the reference target. The track is raised until the horizontal line of the working target and the horizontal hair-line of the telescope coincide. When this operation is finished, the track is on a true grade. This operation is repeated at intervals along the track between the telescope and the reference target.

One of the particular features of my invention is that it consistsof instruments so constructed that they can be operated. by the ordinary track workman who can obtain accurate results without the necessity of having the engineering knowledge that has.

heretofore been necessary to accomplish thiswork in an accurate manner.

The work may be done very quickly on account of the fact that the workmen who;

strument is set. No stakeswill be required.

for sags of 2000 feet or less.

What i claim-as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is': i

1. A. support for holding an optical instrument consisting of a head, two fixed legs pivoted thereto, a third and longer leg also pivoted to the head and provided with .a screw attachment, means for adjusting the said screw attachment upon the third. leg so a that the vertical hair-line of the optical instrument will fall directly in line with the gage side of the rail.

2. A support having fixed legs of equal length provided with a supporting shoebe tween them and a longer leg provided with a screw extension.

3. A support provided with stationary legs having a shoe mechanism at the bottom thereof provided with clamping means to hold the same on a rail head. 7

l. A support provided with stationary. legs having a shoe mechanism at the bottom thereof provided with adjustable clamping means to hold the same on a rail-head.

5. .A support provided with stationary legs having a shoe mechanism at the bottom thereof provided with. adjustably mounted. spring clamping means to hold the same on a rail head.

6. A support for holding an optical instrument consisting of a head, two fixed legs By the use of my in pivoted thereto, a third and longer leg also hand at the borough of Manhattan, city and pivoted to the head and provided With a State of New York, this 19th day of April, 10

longitudinally adjustable attachment, means 1915.

for adjusting the said attachment upon the 5 third leg so that the vertical hair line of the optical instrument will fall directly in line With the gage side of the rail.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my CHARLES E. DOTY.

In presence of- ETHEL D. BACON, JOHN J. RANAGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

